The man who introduced Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to the world of mixed martial arts could now find himself being coached by the UFC light heavyweight champion.

Nearly nine years after he first debuted with the UFC, David Roberts (5-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will make a return to the organization — this time as a cast member for “The Ultimate Fighter 7.”

A source close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Roberts was offered a spot on the cast and recently headed to Las Vegas to tape the upcoming season.

“The Ultimate Fighter 7,” which debuts April 2 on Spike TV, features Jackson and season-one winner Forrest Griffin as coaches. The show will feature 16 middleweight fighters vying for a UFC contract.

Back in 1999, Jackson was still oblivious to the world of MMA. However, Roberts, his high-school buddy and a fellow wrestler, was preparing for an MMA fight and asked Jackson for help. Jackson was soon introduced to the sport of fighting, and he was instantly hooked. He and Roberts would maintain their friendship as both ventured into their respective MMA careers.

Jackson’s is well-documented and full of success. Roberts, though, may be getting his last shot at stardom.

The 28-year-old made his professional debut at UFC 20 and suffered a first-round TKO to Marcelo Mello. It was his first and only fight in the UFC, but Roberts would go on to win five of his next six fights, including one at a June 2000 King of the Cage event that Jackson also competed in.

However, from June 2001 to October 2002, Roberts dropped three straight fights and quit competing for nearly five years. He returned to KOTC this past April and has since lost two more fights, dropping his career record to 5-7.

Roberts says that he considers himself more of a submission ground fighter than a ground-and-pound wrestler, according to previous interviews. Four of his five victories have come via submission.

Roberts isn’t the only the fighter in his family. His brother, Joey Roberts (5-3), is also a former UFC fighter.

Roberts joins a growing list of other cast members that MMAjunkie.com has recently revealed. The full list now includes:

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